The King of Rome

by Francis Mulhern

  “Lies. I know nothing of this…” called Capitolinus.

  “He” again Javenoli pointed at Capitolinus “stole this gold” at which the man with the sack poured various items to the floor. “Brevo showed us where this gold was hidden by Capitolinus.”

  “Lies” screamed Capitolinus.

  “Gag him” shouted Javenoli as he flung a look of hatred towards Capitolinus. “We cannot trust anything he says. He will lie to keep himself from being found out.” Several soldiers stepped forwards, some of the crowd shouting in disbelief as their previous hero was gagged and his hand bound. Javenoli looked to Marcus, who appeared in as much shock as the crowd.

  “You cannot do this...” was the last thing Capitolinus said, his muffled voice now indistinct.

  “Let us return to the evidence” said Javenoli as the crowd, most of whom were standing in shock and disbelief began to quieten and re-seat themselves on the ground. “This soldier was tricked by Capitolinus into murder. He has confirmed that this gold was stolen from the temple by that man” he turned to stare at Capitolinus, who was now on his knees between three guards. “But, people of Rome, you may still consider that this evidence is not enough, that this man is still blameless. Yet there is more evidence to hear” he said as he moved towards the plebeian council who sat beside the senators. “Here are two of your tribunes, Marcus Menenius and Lucius Sicinius” he said as the two men stood, both attired in their smartest toga’s and with clean-shaven faces. Javenoli motioned them forwards and turned to face the crowd.

  “People of Rome” he said, his voice now more measured, the tone respectful. “We have heard that Capitolinus claimed that the senate was stealing gold from the temple of Jupiter when it is proven” he pointed to the pile of golden treasures on the floor by prone form of Brevo “that it was in fact he, himself, who had taken that gold. I put it to you, people of Rome, that he used this gold to pay off the debts of those he called to be his clients. With this gold he attempted to sway people’s minds towards a new future, a future where he would be a king.” Some of the crowd called out that they couldn’t believe this story, Javenoli searching the crowd for a face who had called and staring hard at the man, one he’d paid earlier, before speaking again. “Ah, you say you do not believe me” he said as he looked to Menenius. “Then, here are your tribunes, people of Rome. Let us ask them what they know of this deceit.” He turned to Menenius and Sicinius. “Tell the people, tribunes of the plebs, tell them what news you brought to the senate.” With this he stood back and glanced to Capitolinus, who was struggling with a guard in an attempt to rise.

  Menenius told his tale, of how Capitolinus had tricked them into believing that he was acting for all plebeians, but had then used Brevo to kill their own people, to incite violence and had spoken openly of his desire to be a new king of Rome, of the blood sacrifices he had forced them to make at knifepoint. The crowd roared with disapproval and many surged towards Capitolinus with hatred in their eyes, raising fists and calling on the gods to punish him. Javenoli thanked the two men and then stepped forwards again, hearing Capitolinus’ muffled shouts of ‘liars’ even through the gag and the background noise of the livid crowd. He turned to look at Cossus, whose stern face held a look of thunder. Javenoli lifted his arms and called for silence as he faced the people. “You have heard the truth” he called. “Under the eyes of the gods go to your centuries now and vote, is this man guilty of treachery, of trickery against every man here? Vote now and then we will decide his fate.”

  A surge of anger rose as the crowd got to their feet and started to group together to vote, Marcus coming to Javenoli and placing a hand on his shoulder. “This man must surely be tried as well, today” he said with a nod towards Brevo. Javenoli glanced to the soldier and pursed his lips. “He is complicit in these crimes and must pay for them too” he added.

  Javenoli looked back at Marcus and nodded, but then said “today is not his day, Marcus. He will be tried when this is concluded, we cannot remove the guilt from Capitolinus by sharing it with this man. To do so will lessen the treacherous act in the eyes of the people. Brevo will meet his fate, Marcus, you can be sure of that.”

  ********

  Istros watched as Brevo was dragged from the floor, his mouth stretched into a tight line in concern for his friend. Three soldiers moved him to a cart and lifted him before throwing him into the back, the former centurion landing heavily but without any movement, clearly unconscious. The cart began to wheel back towards the city, two men and an Ox leading the way. Looking back at the crowd he considered his options. He still felt some form of attachment to Brevo, but his paymaster was still under the threat from Auguronos. He bit his lip as he watched the cart disappear over the hill. Shaking his head, he looked back to the crowd and decided that he still had much work to do that day.

  ********

  Javenoli came to Cossus and handed him the results of the vote, Marcus lifting his head to see what reaction Cossus would show on his face to the news. As his eyebrows rose and his head nodded, he saw Javenoli whispering something into his ear which caused him a moment of hesitation. Words were exchanged, but nobody except the two men were party to the discussion. Marcus frowned, watching as Javenoli nodded curtly to Cossus, whose mouth dropped in distaste, but his head nodded curtly at the pontiff.

  Cossus stood, his hands held out in front of him as the crowd came to silence. Capitolinus was lifted to his feet and brought forward. His eyes flashed with anger and his muffled shouts could be heard as Cossus spoke over his noise.

  “People of Rome, you have voted. You have found this man guilty of treachery. Guilty of murder and guilty of plotting to be king.” The crowd hissed at the words, which caused Capitolinus to stare back at them and shout un-heard words. “The senate has asked me to act within the powers of the law. You” he turned to Capitolinus “have been found guilty of the worst act of treason for any man of the Republic. Your sentence is that you will be thrown from the Tarpeian Rock as a common criminal” at which the crowd gasped and then vocalised agreement with small groups cheering and waving. Marcus watched, noting that it was only hours before that the crowd had waved and cheered in his defence. “You will be taken there now, in sight of all of the citizens and one tribune of the plebs and one consular tribune will throw you to your death. In this way” and he turned to the crowd as he spoke “the people of Rome will know that this decision is made by both patrician and plebeian. There will be no more kings of Rome” he said, the crowd now shouting agreement and clapping at his words. Cossus stood and held up his hands, Capitolinus continuing to attempt to shout through his gag, the guards now holding him tight as he struggled to get free. “There is one more thing” he said with a turn to Javenoli, who stepped forwards, two acolytes bringing a heavy table and several sacrificial items forwards. Marcus nodded, as did many of the senators, as Javenoli appeared to be preparing to set up a final sacrifice to the gods to placate them for this day.

  “People of Rome” called Javenoli. “You have heard the lies and the treachery that this man has spoken. I call on the gods to see that he has deceived us all, as well as them. He has used the name of mighty Jupiter to seal his deceit, tricking us all into believing that he has been given the hand of the god himself to do his will.” He waved the guards forward, bringing some confusion to the crowd, who fell into utter silence as Capitolinus was dragged forwards. His legs kicked, and his voice rose into muffled shouts of anger as he was pushed to his knees in front of the table. “Release his right hand” called Javenoli, Marcus sitting forwards suddenly at these words and glancing to a grim-faced Cossus. “As you have tricked the gods themselves” called Javenoli as one of the soldiers gripped Capitolinus’ right hand and, with Javenoli pointing to the wooden board on the table, he pushed his arm down, another soldier coming forwards to hold him as he bucked and twisted to avoid what was coming. Javenoli continued, his eyes to the sky as he lifted a large cleaver, one used to cut the bones of an ox, and then turned to Capito
linus. “This hand has tricked the people of Rome” called the pontiff. “This hand has been used to murder in the name of the gods. In the name of the senate and people of Rome, I call on the gods to punish you, to take this arm as a gift for them, to return to Jupiter the power that you took from him and twisted to your own ends. Hear me, gods of Rome as we mortal men show that we will never again try to reach for individual glory. With this act we remain your people, your Republic.” With that he looked into Capitolinus eyes, seeing fear and loathing staring back at him. As he launched the cleaver at Capitolinus’ right hand the crowd erupted into a rapturous cheer.

  ************

  Chapter 45

  The parade through the streets to the Capitol Hill took longer than expected. Crowds had come out and harangued the prisoner, who stumbled every few steps, arm dripping with blood despite it being bound to his body so that he didn’t bleed to death, as he was marched to the place of his execution. The crowds threw rotten vegetables at him, some kicked out at him, others simply stood and stared in disbelief. Marcus walked ahead of the crowd with the senators, his head bowed low and his thoughts on the scenes he had seen over the past few hours. Capitolinus, a man he had fought with, seen lead men to glory and helped to defeat their shared enemies, was now to be executed. It was incredible. More incredible was the change in Gaius Javenoli, who appeared to have the energy of a man twenty or thirty years his junior. He’d forced the confession from Brevo, found the gold that Capitolinus had hidden and used to pay off the debts of all those that he’d helped. Then he’d still found the time and energy to speak to the senators regarding safeguarding the future of the Republic whilst sharing some of the powers which had previously been denied to the plebeians. It was as if all of his previous arguments regarding the blood lines and rights of the patricians to hold power over the plebeians had simply vanished. Javenoli had spoken of retaining the power of the position of Pontiff as a patrician only role, which the senate had agreed. The plebeians would work with a group of senators to agree what roles and positions would be shared in their new vision of Rome. As he started to climb the narrow slopes of the Capitol Hill, and the crowd thinned, Marcus recalled the words of the prophecy he’d heard spoken by the soothsayer Antonicus. ‘The eagle will be a true servant of the people’ the words had said. He remembered how he had tipped the golden scales, as the prophecy had also decreed. ‘Beware the friend who is not a friend of the people’ the priest had also said. Marcus glanced back over his shoulder and considered if this was now the fulfilment of the prophecy, was Capitolinus the friend who was not a friend of the people. He closed his eyes and muttered a prayer to Fortuna, to Mater Matuta and Juno for surely this was what the prophecy had foretold. As he opened his eyes he saw Javenoli standing at the top of the Hill, his face tense as he turned towards the altar which overlooked the spot where Capitolinus had killed the first barbarian, the irony not lost on any man who stood at its side with sadness in their eyes.

  Capitolinus was almost delirious as he was dragged to the altar. Cossus stepped up in front of the accused and placed a hand on his head, which lolled as if he couldn’t control his neck muscles. The prisoner, still bound and gagged, seemed to pick up some energy as he pulled back from the Rock, the fifty or sixty-foot drop now gaping at him as he was dragged to the edge.

  “The laws have found you guilt of treason, Marcus Manlius. We strip your name from the records, all your deeds will be forgotten. Here, you will die as a common traitor.” He waved to two men who now stepped forwards, Marcus seeing the two Manlius brothers coming forwards. Each man grabbed at their own brother’s clothes and tore them from him, his white nakedness visible to the crowds that stood beside and below watching the act of his death. “Your family disown you. No longer will they name any child of the family Marcus, no longer will they own the land upon which your house has been built.” At this, both brothers stepped back and took a short cane from their belts, hitting Capitolinus several times and leaving long red lines on his skin as he cried out in pain through the gag across his mouth. “They remain blameless for your deeds under the eyes of the gods and they return to civic duties as renowned men of great valour” shouted Cossus. At this he turned to Marcus and inclined his chin, the signal for him to come forwards. He noted that it was Sicinius who stepped forward from the plebeian tribunate, his hand shaking as his fists tensed and released while he walked to the altar.

  “Jupiter looks down on your crimes Capitolinus” said Cossus as he nodded to both tribunes, Marcus gripping the prisoners upper arm as he was on his right. Capitolinus turned red-rimmed eyes to Marcus and his tongue worked under the gag, his veins on his neck and temple standing out as he tried to speak, his actions becoming frantic. Cossus stood back and motioned for the two men to throw the prisoner to his death, a doleful drumbeat suddenly hammering in the background as the priests of the temple set up their dirge. Marcus tensed his left foot, but as Capitolinus continued to try to speak, his eyes imploring Marcus he stopped and looked to Cossus momentarily before he reached and pulled the gag from the prisoner’s mouth, Capitolinus swallowed and coughed, his breath rasping. Marcus gripped his arm, but felt Capitolinus relax as his eyes turned back to him. Marcus and Sicinius tensed, pulled their man back and then started to launch him out into the open space and into the abyss that was his doom. As he hurled Capitolinus towards the cliff, the prisoner turned his face to him and, in a voice called “beware the friend who is not a friend of the people.”

  ************

  Crastinus turned to Istros and nodded, both men creeping into the shadows. “Are you sure?” asked the assassin.

  Crastinus shook his head and sighed, “I don’t know why, but yes I am. There’s something about this that I must finish” he said as both men looked towards the doorway.

  “Then let’s finish it.” They trotted across to the doorway an Istros knocked loudly, the sound of laughter within stopping instantly. They soon heard feet stepping towards the door.

  “Who’s there?” called a voice from within.

  “Change of the guard” said Crastinus. “Code words The Rock” he said, which he knew was correct as he’d set it himself earlier. The guards grumbled about the change, and Crastinus kicked the door and shouted, “come on its freezing out here” to which the door lock was slid aside. Instantly Istros forced his whole body-weight into the door and shoved as hard as he could. The resultant smashing and sliding noise suggested that the guards had been knocked backwards just as they expected. Crastinus, hat over his head and scarf over his mouth was into the room and punching the other guard before the man could rise from the table at which he was drinking. Istros had the other guard in a headlock which squeezed his breath until his head drooped to one side.

  “He’s not dead?” asked Crastinus.

  “I know my art” said Istros. “He’ll be out for fifteen minutes so we better move quickly. Where is he?”

  “Down here” said the running centurion. Both men rushed through two corridors until they came to a locked door, which Crastinus opened with the keys taken from the guard. They hastened inside, prepared to have to lift and carry Brevo to safety, but the ex-centurion turned to them from where he sat at a table and his eyebrows lifted in surprise.

  “What? Who?” he said, jumping to his feet and squaring up, fists raised. “Double-crossing bastard” he shouted as Crastinus stopped dead and took the hat and scarf from his face to stare at Brevo. “You” said Brevo, his teeth grinding.

  Istros and Crastinus stared at each other as Brevo stepped forwards. “Wait, wait” said Istros, “we’ve come to rescue you” he said.

  “Rescue?” said Brevo. “I don’t need rescuing.”

  “But you were at deaths door, you looked like you’d been beaten within an inch of your life” said Crastinus with incredulity at the healthy sheen on Brevo’s face.

  Brevo grinned. “Javenoli sorted it, just sheep’s blood. He said I’d be freed if I played along with his plan” he shrugged. Istros turn
ed to Crastinus and shook his head. “He’s got the farms transferred to my brother and I’m off to Capua tomorrow for a new life. I couldn’t say no” added Brevo as he slapped Istros on the shoulder. “Good to know you had my back though, sir” he said to Crastinus.

  Crastinus looked to Istros in total shock, then back to the smiling face of Brevo. In the blink of an eye he punched the ex-centurion flat in the face, knocking the man to the floor and breaking his nose with a resounding crack.

  Brevo scrambled in the dirt and looked up at his former friend and, with some difficulty as his nose was now bleeding copiously, mumbled, “What was that for?”

  “Everything” shouted Crastinus before turning and stalking from the room.

  *********

  THE END

  *

  *

  *

  *

  *

  *

  HISTORICAL NOTES

  This book has been two years in the writing due to working in London and having to travel 2 hours each way (4 hours a day) to work. Sadly, the journey included 4 changes each way, so I couldn’t sit quietly and write. In fact, most days, as commuters to London will know, I didn’t even get a seat so had to stand. Happily, I’ve now moved on from that job and have a 10-minute journey to work in the car.

  This story gives an account of the changes within both the Latin delta and the City of Rome itself which followed the defeat by Brennus. I’m indebted to Livy for his outline of the historical ‘facts’, but also to Mary Jaeger’s book ‘Livy’s written Rome’ (The University of Michigan Press, 2009) which helped to make more sense of the words of the great writer. Jaeger proposes that Capitolinus looked inward at the Capitol Hill as the centre of Rome, which he had saved, whilst Camillus looked outwardly to a new future for Rome, the juxtaposition of their two differing views being a turning point for the Roman mindset of the period. I tried to make this a central theme of this book as it is clearly the beginning of the expansionism that saw Rome begin to conquer all the Italian tribes and set up the future Empire. Jaeger identifies that Livy creates a focus on Capitolinus as being alone, the one man who saved Rome, whilst Camillus brought an army which saved Rome, and embodied the difference between state-led acts and those of individuals. She also argues that Livy’s writing focuses on Capitolinus as defined by the Capitol Hill, the space within which he operates being almost exclusively limited to this location. His words, according to Livy, talk of freeing the Capitol from invaders, not freeing the state from it’s enemies. Language is important, and the themes and ideas which are espoused by Jaeger gave me plenty to think about as I wrote the book.